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Vol. 2. No. 1. February 2013 ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES

PERCEPTION OF PEOPLE ABOUT GOVT. AND PRIVATE

EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN DISTRICT KOTLI, AZAD KASHMIR
Syed Masroor Anwar1, Kamran Abbas2, Mohammad Zakira3, Muhammad Basharat4,
A. Qadeer Khan5, Syed Shujahat Bukhari6
1, 2, 4
Department of Statistics, 5Department of Mathematics and 6Department of Physics, Azad Jammu
and Kashmir University, Muzaffarabad, & 3Allma Iqbal Open University, Islamabad,
PAKSITAN.
1
masroor_anwar2001@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
Considerable research has been undertaken on the perception of people in district
Kotli (Azad Kashmir) about the Govt. and private sector education institutions. A
random sample of 400 parents/guardians had taken from district Kotli (Azad
Kashmir) with stratified random sampling. SPSS was used for analysis of data. The
graphical method, descriptive statistics, Chi-square test of association and Mann-
Whitney U test was applied. People prefer private sector institutions as compared to
the Govt. sector institutions because in the private sector syllabus is more up to dated
and teaching staff is more regular and friendly. The teaching staffs in private sector
make more efforts to the students as compared to the govt. sector. Fee structure of
private institutions is very high and there is deficiency of sports activities in private
institutions as compared to Govt. institutions. There is association of more qualified
staff with i) confidence level of the student’s ii) successful life in future. Students from
private sector proved to be more successful in future and they have the better chance
for job in public offices.
Keywords: Public, perception, institution.

INTRODUCTION
Education is a vehicle for imparting facts and feelings, information, passion, understanding
and appreciation to human beings. In Pakistan there are two broad categories of education
that are formal and informal education. A formal education program is the process of training
and developing people in knowledge, skills, mind, and character in a structured and certified
program. Teaching refers to learning with a view toward preparing learners with special
knowledge, skills or abilities that can be applied immediately upon completion. In our study
we focused on public sector and private sector education system in Azad Kashmir, district
Kotli. Ayyash-Abdo, et al.(2010) conducted the status of school counseling in Lebanon. An
overview that pointed out some weakness in the educational system, such as high dropout and
repetition rates, was presented. A sample of school counselors in public and private schools
were surveyed. Private school counselors reported fewer stressors and more rewards than did
their counterparts in public schools. In Indonesia, Welch (2007) make a study about the
balance of public and private higher education had shifted sharply over the last two decades.
While the private system education had been responsible for much of the expansion in higher
education, its role in relation to quality was more questionable.
In Mexico's recent history is reviewed, showed that the role of private and public sectors in
the higher education system, focusing on how policies to modernize education have redefined
public and private space in education. The old discourse that assumed that private higher
education should not be evaluated, nor assigned particular responsibilities in national
development, needs to be reconsidered. The public nature of education validates its social
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functions. In this context private universities need to be evaluated according to academic

excellence criteria (Casillas, A.1993).
Anderson (1992) discussed that the balance of the public & private school sectors in Australia
is unstable, and present trends may lead to a public system that merely serves as a safety net
for children not catered to by private schools. Increasingly, bright and motivated students and
influential and articulate parents are moving from the public to the private system. In 1986,
24% of primary school and 29% of secondary school students were in private schools,
including elite, religious, and reform/alternative schools. The public system is left to deal
with an increasingly difficult & unrepresentative student body, which in turn causes more
flight to private schools.
The main objective of the study is to know the view of people in district Kotli about public
and private sector education institutions and review of the related studies. However, no such
study has been conducted in Azad Kashmir; district Kotli.

METHODOLOGY
Design and sample
Our population was based on the parents/guardians in district Kotli (Azad Jammu and
Kashmir). The researcher conducted the survey in district Kotli (AJK). The parents/guardians
were selected for this study.
Researcher used the following formula provided by T.Yamne (1967) to determine the sample
size ࢔ = ࡺ/(૚ + ࡺ. ࢋ૛) which is 400. The population of district Kotli divided into two strata
i.e. rural and urban. Then take sample from these strata by using proportional allocation
which is 308 from rural and 92 from urban area of district Kotli. A questionnaire was used to
collect the information from the respondents and was developed according to tool used by
(Ayyash-Abdo, et al.2010).
The questionnaire was comprised of three sections. Section 1 consisted of demographic
attributes (area, gender, age, education level). Section 2 comprised of questions related to as
where would you prefer to send your children/brothers/sisters for getting education, Which of
the teaching staff makes more efforts for their students, Which type of institutes is good
enough to judge the underlying abilities of the students, Which of the two students having
more chance of selection for public office for job. These questions were measured on a 2-
point scale by Public sector institute and Private sector institutes. In section-3 questions
related to as the behavior of private teaching staff is friendlier than public teaching school,
the sport’s activities of public sector institutes are better of the private sector institutes, the
syllabus in private institutes is more up to date and constructive, the confidence level of the
student of private institutes is better than the student of the Govt. institute, due to fee structure
in private institute’s peoples prefer public sector institutes, the building of the public sector
institutes is enough for learning of students, the teachers of the private sector institutes are
well qualified, the private sector institutes provide better facilities for learning, the private
sector institutes should be Govt. registered, the students of private sector institutes proved to
be more successful their career. These questions were measured at 5 point scale that is
agreed, strongly agree, disagree, strongly disagree and don’t know.
The questionnaire was conveniently distributed to 400 parents/guardians of the district Kotli
(Azad Kashmir) at the rate of 308 from rural areas and 92 from urban areas. Proper
instructions were given to the respondents in order to fill the questionnaire properly by
surveyors.

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DATA ANALYSIS
Data were analyzed by using SPSS. Results were calculated and presented by using
descriptive statistics, Graphical Method, Chi square test and Maan whitney test.

RESULTS
From all 400 respondents, 273 were male and 127 were female. From table-1and graph-1, it
is clear that mostly people (62.25%) prefer Private sector institutes. Table-1 shows that
mostly people (63.50%) agreed that Private sector teaching staff makes more efforts for
students as compared to public sector teaching staff. It is concluded that private sector
institutes are better to judge the underlying abilities of the students (see Table-1 and graph-2).
About 55.25% of the respondents think that the student of the private sector institutes having
more chance of selection for public office for job as compared to the students of public sector
institute and 44.75% against it (see Table-1 and graph-6).
Table 1. Perception of people about Govt. and private Institutes
Strongly Strongly Don’t
Asked Questions Agree Disagree
Agree Disagree know
Behavior of private teaching staff is more
126 107 108 24 35
friendly than public teaching staff
Sport’s activities of public sector institutes are
194 113 71 09 13
better than private sector institutes
Syllabus in private institutes is more up to
188 80 109 11 12
date and constructive
Confidence level of the students in private
institutes is better than the students of the 128 167 93 09 03
Govt. institutes.
Because of high fee structure in private
institutes peoples come to public sector 161 135 63 27 14
institutes
Private sector institutes should be Govt.
158 123 87 21 11
registered
Students of private sector institutes proved to
147 97 88 32 36
be more successful in their career
Teaching staff of the private sector institutes
112 83 158 47 00
are well qualified

Table 2. Comparison of Govt. and private institutes at agrees and disagree criteria
Public sector Private sector
Asked Questions
Institutions Institutions
Preference to send your children/brothers/sisters for getting
151(41.75%) 249(62.25%)
education
Teaching staff makes more efforts for students 146(36.50%) 254(63.50%)
Institutes good enough to judge the underlying abilities of the
167(41.75%) 233(58.25%)
students
Students having more chance of selection for public offices for
179(44.75%) 221(55.25%)
job

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Table 3. Association between qualified teaching staff and confidence level of the student
Confidence level of the students
Chi P-
of private institutes is better Total
Square value
than the Govt. institutes

Don’t Know
Disagree

Disagree
Strongly

Strongly
Agree

Agree
Teaching Agree 68 24 13 06 01 112
staff of the Strongly Agree 4 41 05 02 01 83
private sector Disagree 24 75 57 01 01 158 113.7 0.00
institutes are Strongly Disagree 2 27 18 00 00 47
well qualified Don’t Know 00 00 00 00 00 00
Total 128 167 93 09 03 400
Table 4. Association between qualified staff and students proved more successful in career
Students of private sector
Chi P-
institutes proved to be more Total
Square value
successful their career

Don’t Know
Disagree

Disagree
Strongly

Strongly
Agree

Agree

Agree 45 30 11 13 10 112

Teaching Strongly Agree 43 27 09 01 03 83

staff of the
private sector Disagree 45 31 60 11 11 158 74.417 0.00
institutes are 47
well qualified Strongly Disagree 11 09 08 07 12
Don’t Know 00 00 00 00 00 00

Total 147 97 88 32 36 400

Table 5. Gender opinion about the job opportunities for the students in different institutes

Gender N Mean Rank Sum of ranks Mann-Whitney U P-value

Students from
private sector Male 273 207.95 56770.00
institutes having
more chances of Female 127 184.40 23430.00 15302.00 0.028
job
Total 400

From the table-2 it is clear that mostly people are agree and strongly agree with the statement
that the behavior of private teaching staff is more friendly than the public sector teaching
staff (see also graph-3). Mostly respondents are agree (48.50%) and strongly agree (28.25%)
with the view that the sport’s activities of public sector institutes are better than the private
sector institutes. People from district Kotli (Azad Kashmir) highly favour that the syllabus in
private institutes is more up to date and constructive as compare to the syllabus in public
sector institutes (see table-2 and graph-4). Collectively 48.75% respondents agreed and
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strong agreed that the teaching staff in private sector institutes are well qualified (see table-
2).Overall, 73.75% people viewed that the confidence level of the students from private
institutes is much better than the confidence level of students from the Govt. institutes. As fee
structure in private institutes is very high as compared to the Govt. institutes. It is very
difficult to afford these highly fees of private institutes by all family heads in this area, so
considering table-1, because of this reason people come to public sector institutes. Mostly
respondents (70.25%) said that the private sector institutes should be Govt. registered (see
table-2).About 61% of the respondents agreed that the students of private sector institutes
proved to be more successful their career as compared to the students of Govt. sector
institutes (see table-2 and graph-5).

Graph-1 Preference of Institutes Graph-2 Good Institutes to measure underlying

Abilities of the students

140 Agree Strongly. 200 Agree

180
120 Agree Disagree 160
100 140
80 120 Strongly. Disagree
100 Agree
60
Strongly. Don’t know 80
40 60
Disagree Strongly.
40
20
20 Disagree Don’t know
0 0
Graph-3 Private sector teaching staff is Graph-4 Private sector syllabus is more

Graph-3 Private sector teaching staff is Graph-4 Private sector syllabus is more
More friendly than public sector’s staff constructive and up to date

160 Agree 250 Public Private

140 sector sector
120
Strongly. 200 student student
Agree
100 Disagree
150
80

60 Strongly. 100

40 Disagree Don’t know

50
20

0
0

From the table-3 it is clear that there is association between more qualified staff of private
institutes and confidence level of the students of the private institutes with chi-square=113.7
and p-value=0.00 at 5% level of significance (According to Faqir Mohammad, 2009). Also
there is an association between qualified teaching staff from private sector institutes and the
students of private sector institutes proved to be more successful in career with chi-
square=74.417 and p-value=0.00 at 5% level of significance (Faqir Mohammad, 2009).

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Graph-5 Students from private sector proved to be Graph-6 students having more chances for job
More successful in their career

160 Agree 250 Public Private

140 sector sector
120
Strongly. 200 student student
Agree
100 Disagree
150
80

60 Strongly. 100

40 Disagree Don’t know

50
20

0
0

From the table-5 it is clear that both males and females having the same opinion that the
students from private institutes having the more chances of selection for job as compared to
the students from Govt. institutes with Maan Whitney=15302 and p-value=0.028 at 5% level
of significance (Faqir Mohammad,2009).

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

In a sample of 400 parents/guardians from district Kotli (Azad Kashmir) mostly people prefer
private sector institutions as compared to the Govt. institutions for their children. In private
sector syllabus is more updated and teaching staff is friendlier to their students. The
confidence level of the students from private sector institutions is better as compared to the
Govt. institutions. Teaching staff of private sector make more efforts to the students as
compared to the govt. sector in Azad Kashmir. Results from Ayyash-Abdo, et al. (2010) are
also with agreement with our findings. The fee structure in private sector is very high. In
Azad Kashmir mostly people belong to low or middle class so the high fee rate of private
sector is not affordable to all the people. In the view of this people look to the Govt. sector
institutions.
The sports facilities in the private sector are not enough. There is association of more
qualified staff with i) confidence level of the students’ ii) successful life in future. Students
from private sector proved to be more successful in future and having better chance for job.
It is recommended that similar studies be conducted in overall Azad Kashmir and Pakistan as
to establish more facts and figures about these public and private teaching institutions in
Azad Kashmir and Pakistan.

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Don, A. (1992). The Interaction of Public and Private School Systems, Australian Journal of
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Mohammad, F. (2009). Statistical Methods & Data Analysis. Kitab Markaz(Faislabad).
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